Spiral shafts
Funnels down to the water.
Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · PsamatheM — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Cantalloc Aqueducts are the best known of the puquios, ancient underground water channels in southern Peru's Nazca region that carry water long distances through hot, dry country with little lost to evaporation. They lie about 3 km east of Nazca town and about 26 km in a straight line from the Nazca Lines. Their origin and dating are disputed, but some archaeologists estimate that people of the Nazca culture began building them around 500 AD to cope with water scarcity in one of the driest coastal deserts. The technique resembles the qanats of Iran. Forty-three puquios were still working in the early 21st century, and they were placed on the World Heritage tentative list in 2019. The highlight is the spiral access shafts, lined with rounded river stones, that corkscrew down like funnels to the water flowing below. They run in a line across sandy ground framed by green trees and bare mountains. The visit is short and pairs well with the Nazca Lines. Do not climb into the spiral shafts, as they belong to an irrigation system still in use.
Funnels down to the water.
Lining the walls.
Still irrigating fields.
East of Nazca town, Ica Region, Peru
Yes, as part of a working irrigation system.
About an hour.